Four years ago, one of the nation’s largest counties implemented a risk-assessment system that is reducing unpleasant cost and timeline surprises on multimillion-dollar public works projects.

Built in the mid-1960s, the Factoria Transfer Station in Bellevue will be replaced with a larger and enclosed facility. The project’s expected to cost the King County (Wash.) Solid Waste Division $90 million.

What drives risk?

One basic challenge was defining what constitutes a “high-risk project.” Working with the county council and program managers, Rogers came up with:

“Having characteristics that increase the likelihood of a project being completed late or over budget, at a potentially significant financial or other impact to the county.”

A joint agency group made up of six high-level appointees from the council and the county executive, plus key policy staff, was formed. Using this definition, the Real Estate and Major Capital Project Review Group formalized reporting procedures and forms and obtained council approval to move forward.

Low Influence

Market conditions—will engineering and construction phases last so long that market conditions could change dramatically?

Agency experience with project type—if experience is minimal, can the agency somehow acquire the necessary expertise?

An electronic form called the Capital Project Assessment Score Summary is automatically generated and provides a snapshot of most important project information. Project managers complete a questionnaire annually beginning with early in the planning process, before a lot of funding is committed, through the time they set a baseline at the end of preliminary engineering. Results are automatically compiled into a database and submitted to the county clerk and county auditor offices.